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General power of attorney under the 1971 Act (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English
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Made for use in Northern Ireland
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For an adult in Northern Ireland who wants someone they trust to handle their money and affairs while they can still decide for themselves — when abroad, in hospital or simply needing help. A deed in the section 10 form of the Powers of Attorney Act (Northern Ireland) 1971, printed and signed in ink before a witness. It stops working if you lose mental capacity; for that, Northern Ireland has the enduring power of attorney, registered with the Office of Care and Protection, which nidirect explains free.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are going to work abroad for a while and want someone in Northern Ireland to deal with your money.
- You are going into hospital and want your daughter to pay your bills and talk to the bank.
- Your partner already helps with your affairs and the bank wants a power of attorney.
- You want a general power of attorney while you can still decide things yourself.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- Principal
- Principal's address
- Town or city
- Principal's postcode
- Attorney (the person you appoint)
- Attorney's address, with postcode
- Second attorney (blank if only one)
- Second attorney's address, with postcode
- How two attorneys act
- Valid until
Common questions
- Does a general power of attorney in Northern Ireland keep working if I develop dementia?
- No. A general power under the 1971 Act cannot be used once you lack capacity for the decision. For that, Northern Ireland has the enduring power of attorney (Enduring Powers of Attorney (Northern Ireland) Order 1987), which your attorney registers with the Office of Care and Protection of the High Court when your capacity is failing; nidirect explains it free. Lasting powers of attorney, as England and Wales have them, are provided for by the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 but have not started yet.
- Why must this power of attorney be signed on paper in Northern Ireland?
- Because it is a deed (section 1 of the Powers of Attorney Act (Northern Ireland) 1971), and article 3 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 asks for your signature in the presence of a witness who attests it. Whether a Northern Irish deed may be signed electronically is unsettled, and practice is ink on paper. Choose an adult witness who is not your attorney; they add their name, address and occupation.
- Will banks and Land & Property Services in Northern Ireland accept a general power of attorney?
- Each decides what it accepts. Banks and building societies often have their own free third-party mandate, which may be enough for one account, so ask before you sign. For registered land, the Land Registry, part of Land & Property Services, says what it needs. A general power does not cover what you do as a trustee or executor, and jointly owned property can need a different power. Keep the original safe and ask each body whether a certified copy will do.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Power of attorney for a single matter (Northern Ireland)
For someone in Northern Ireland who needs another person to act for them in one matter only — selling a car, signing a contract, dealing with a bank account or a property sale while they are away. A deed (section 1 of the Powers of Attorney Act (Northern Ireland) 1971) naming the matter, what the attorney may sign and when the power ends, printed and signed in ink before a witness. If a letter of authority or the organisation’s own free form will do, use that first.
- Deed of revocation of a power of attorney (Northern Ireland)
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- Formal complaint to your council (Northern Ireland)
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